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Social patterning of chronic disease risk factors in a Latin American city
Journal article   Peer reviewed

Social patterning of chronic disease risk factors in a Latin American city

Nancy L Fleischer, Ana V Diez Roux, Marcio Alazraqui and Hugo Spinelli
Journal of urban health, v 85(6), pp 923-937
Nov 2008
PMID: 18830819
Featured in Collection :   UN Sustainable Development Goals @ Drexel
url
https://doi.org/10.1007/s11524-008-9319-2View
Published, Version of Record (VoR) Open

Abstract

Adolescent Adult Age Distribution Aged Aged, 80 and over Argentina - epidemiology Body Mass Index Chronic Disease - epidemiology Cross-Sectional Studies Developing Countries Diabetes Mellitus - epidemiology Educational Status Female Health Status Indicators Humans Hypertension - epidemiology Income Male Middle Aged Odds Ratio Risk Assessment Risk Factors Sex Distribution Social Class Urban Health - statistics & numerical data Young Adult Obesity
Most studies of socioeconomic status (SES) and chronic disease risk factors have been conducted in high-income countries, and most show inverse social gradients. Few studies examine these patterns in lower- or middle-income countries. Using cross-sectional data from a 2005 national risk factor survey in Argentina (a middle-income country), we investigated the associations of individual- and area-level SES with chronic disease risk factors (body mass index [BMI], hypertension, and diabetes) among residents of Buenos Aires. Associations of risk factors with income and education were estimated after adjusting for age, sex (except in sex-stratified models), and the other socioeconomic indicators. BMI and obesity were inversely associated with education and income for women, but not for men (e.g., mean differences in BMI for lowest versus highest education level were 1.55 kg/m2, 95%CI = 0.72-2.37 in women and 0.17 kg/m2, 95%CI = -0.72-1.06 in men). Low education and income were also associated with increased odds of hypertension diagnosis in all adults (adjusted odds ratio [AOR] = 1.48, 95%CI = 0.99-2.20 and AOR = 1.50, 95%CI = 0.99-2.26 for the lowest compared to the highest education and income categories, respectively). Lower education was strongly associated with increased odds of diabetes diagnosis (AOR = 4.12, 95%CI = 1.85-9.18 and AOR = 2.43, 95%CI = 1.14-5.20 for the lowest and middle education categories compared to highest, respectively). Area-level education also showed an inverse relationship with BMI and obesity; these results did not vary by sex as they did at the individual level. This cross-sectional study of a major urban area provides some insight into the global transition with a trend toward concentrations of risk factors in poorer populations.

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UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

This publication has contributed to the advancement of the following goals:

#3 Good Health and Well-Being
#10 Reduced Inequalities

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Collaboration types
International collaboration
Web of Science research areas
Public, Environmental & Occupational Health
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